Path to print

by Leigh K Cunningham
in On Writing and Publishing
14 Aug 2009 | 1 Comment

I decided to go it alone with publishing my first book, The Glass Table, for one primary reason and several secondary reasons.

The Glass Table is for children 8-12 years. It has an environmental theme in a fantasy setting. Most of you will know that there is a recession in progress, and as a result, books are not selling. However, some books are doing well, for example, children's books, children's books with an environmental theme, and the fantasy genre. That pretty much covers the essence of The Glass Table, so if there was ever a time to publish this book, it is now. If I were to wait for the traditional publishing cycle to take its usual course, it would be 24 months at the very least before The Glass Table made it onto bookshelves, by which time the opportunity may well have passed.

A secondary reason for self-publishing is that I enjoy the business side of writing. This is my professional background (finance, marketing, PR, law and strategy). However, it is very time-consuming, and so I can certainly appreciate that for those authors who come from a purely creative background, having to devote endless hours to the business side of writing would be akin to asking a brain surgeon to spend time in the hospital dispensary after surgery.

Another aspect of self-publishing I enjoy is being involved at all stages of the process. Some call this 'control' and those who enjoy it, 'control freaks', which may be true but I admit nothing. With control comes responsibility, which means all decisions I make eg design decisions, marketing strategies, sales plans, are my responsibility to bear, whether the outcome is favorable or not. From my perspective, this is also a positive. Lessons will be learned, but those lessons will not be lost in a quagmire of self-recrimination.

Regards
Leigh